This view resounds in the echo chamber of popular culture…Even the Dalai Lama, who should know better, has gotten into the act, claiming

This view resounds in the echo chamber of popular culture…Even the Dalai Lama, who should know better, has gotten into the act, claiming that “all major religious traditions carry basically the same message.”

…To claim that all religions are basically the same…is not to deny the differences between a Buddhist who believes in no god, a Jew who believes in one God, and a Hindu who believes in many gods. It is to deny that those differences matter, however. From this perspective, whether God has a body (yes, say Mormons; no, say Muslims) or whether human beings have souls (yes, say Hindus; no, say Buddhists) is of no account because, as Hindu teacher Swami Sivananda writes, “The fundamentals or essentials of all religions are the same. There is difference only in the nonessentials.”

This is a lovely sentiment but it is untrue, disrespectful, and dangerous.

There is a long tradition of Christian thinkers who assume that salvation is the goal of all religions and then argue that only Christians can achieve this goal. Philosopher of religion Huston Smith, who grew up in China as a child of Methodist missionaries, rejected this argument but not its guiding assumption. “To claim salvation as the monopoly of any one religion,” he wrote, “is like claiming that God can be found in this room and not the next.” It might seem to be an admirable act of empathy to assert that Confucians and Buddhists can be saved. But this statement is confused to the core, since salvation is not something that either Confucians or Buddhists seek. Salvation is a Christian goal, and when Christians speak of it, they are speaking of being saved from sin. But Confucians and Buddhists do not believe in sin, so it makes no sense for them to try to be saved from it. And while Muslims and Jews do speak of sin of a sort, neither Islam nor Judaism describes salvation from sin as its aim. When a jailer asks the apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30), he is asking not a generic human question but a specifically Christian one. So while it may seem to be an act of generosity to state that Confucians and Buddhists and Muslims and Jews can also be saved, this statement is actually an act of obfuscation.

Comments

1. Suresh Vyas said:

Those who say all religions are same are mostly the so called Hindus, and they say it to the Hindus only. They do not take the responsibility to convince it to the Christians or the Muslims. And they do not give up Hindu dharma. If all religions are same, then there should not be any denial to give up one religion and accept another.

No Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, or Jew etc says all religions are same. So, then why the Hindus show should say it when it is not true? To say it is sheer foolishness. They sing asato maa sat gamaya, but they lie when they say all religions are same, and they do not know it is a lie.

Dalai Lama cannot do anything. He the Buddha cannot stop China (the communist) from killing and occupying Tibet. He cannot do it with ahimsaa. He requests the “international community” to help stop China. So, note that ahimsa cannot solve the problem against China, Russia, Saddam Husain’s, Ben Ladins, or Hitlers. It works against the Hindus and Paarsis (Zoroastrians). So, ahimsa is not paramo dharma, not an absolute principle. If it were, it should be able to solve the problem of Dalai Lama. In contrast Hindu dharma includes kshatriya dharma. Therefore, Krishna recommends Arjun to fight, even when Arjun says (in Gita) he does not want to fight.

Jainism is perverted version of the dharma given by the Rishabh Dev incarnation of Vishnu. Srimad Bhagavatam talks about it in detail. The Jains originally were Hindus who were vaishyas (traders, baniyas). Trading or business is not possible when there is fighting and fear or anarchy in the society. They chose not to fight, and want to avoid himsa at all costs.

Jains choose to live in the Vedic land and with the Vedic people. No Jain opens his shop or business in a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. They say there is no god, just follow and live like arihantas (the great personalities.) They say the particles of bad karma stick with the soul permanently and there is no way out except following ahimsa and fasting. They do believe in re-incarnation like Buddhists. Because there is no god for them, their sins cannot be washed out. They need to suffer the reactions of their sins. In contrast, the Vedic dharma has god. God or His advanced devotees can wipe out sins of one who surrenders to them completely. Now a days I see that Jains tend to accept Krishna as one of their arihantas. This is good, going back to the roots.

Where as the merchants who had no ability to fight became Jains, the farmers of Punjab chose to fight with the invading Muslims. Sikh dharma was born thus. Guru Nanak was a great saint. The Hindus of Punjab had to fight constantly against the invading Muslims coming from northwest. Guru Nanak created a dharma that he thought will be more palatable to the Muslims. Muslims say Allah has no form. So, Nanak accepted advaita siddhanta from the Vedas. And he accepted the kshatriya dharma from the Varnaasrama dharma. So, the Sikhs believe that God has no form, but god is all merciful in contrast to Allah that is not merciful to non-believers. They will fight with any one who does asuric things or tries to take away others’ rights or property. So, they are armed farmers. Now, Jains are unarmed traders. They rely on the Hindus for their protection. They donate to the fighters. Bhaamaashaa is an example.

This is all about knowing and understanding the truth. Truth is one, so it could unite when understood. Please see the videos (a pravachan by a swami) at these links:

Hindus need to realise that they are the only ones who believe in this non-existent “sarva dharma samabhava”. Other religions laugh at us for our glib acceptance of this non-existent ideal ! Jihadis keep coming to India from its “neighbours” to convert us by force. Money keeps pouring in from the Middle East, Europe and USA to convert us by coersion. Yet, our leaders keep exhorting us to believe in “equality of religions”, time after time, bomb after bomb, murder after murder.

The Vedic scriptures say, ahimsaa paramo dharma, dharma himsaa tathaiva cha. The second part of the message (which the Gandians never mention) says that it is also dharma to fight when necessary to check or kill adharmis.

Translation by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad: “To diminish the burden of the earth, the unborn Lord will take birth in the Yadu dynasty and perform feats impossible even for the demigods. Propounding speculative philosophy, the Lord, as Buddha, will bewilder the unworthy performers of Vedic sacrifices. And as Kalki the Lord will kill all the low-class men posing as rulers at the end of the age of Kali.”

A: Our main internal threat is a lack of identity. We should make everyone accept that being Indian does not mean just holding an Indian Passport. Indians should also accept that we are either Hindus or descendents of Hindus which Indian Muslims and Christians are. Hence India is Hindustan. All other threats come from the lack of identity. We should foster development Sanskrit as our national language since every Indian language has a large number of Sanskrit words.

Hindus are increasingly becoming religious and attend Hindu Temples, Festivals and spiritual camps. How can we politicize Hindus and make them strong nationalists?

A: By being sincere, and credibly promise that if elected to office, not to betray the people by trying to implement the election commitments.

Can you elaborate on your association with Sangh Pariwar on various National Issues? Your take on the Ram Sethu and Ayodhya issue.

A: Although I am not a formal member of RSS I have worked very closely with RSS, especially with the good wishes of Guruji, Madhav Rao Mulay, Nanaji Deshmukh, Dattopant Thengadi, and recently Sudharshanji. From the very beginning I believed Hindutva is the only cement with which we can build a modern strong India. Even when I was campaigning against Vajpayee I worked for re-opening of Kailash & Manasarovar, making the Session Judge Pande, who ordered the locks of the former Babri masjid to be opened to allow puja inside, as High Court judge, and also worked to finding a solution as Law Minister to the Ram temple issue. So Ram Setu etc is just contunuation of same thinking.

You are also an expert in Indo- China relations and Indo- Israel relations - Can you please elaborate on both according to current scenario?

A: China is our neighbour, and Israel is our tested friend in times of need. Hence, we have to befriend both. China has to be managed without sacrificing our national interests, and not as Nehru foolishly did. Israel only needs our love and commitment that we will never let the Arabs over-run it. It is a land of 6 m illion Jews surrounded by 125 million Muslims.

Whether you think Hindu organisations are not effectively using our Judiciary to protect Dharma? If yes - What is your advice

A: Obviously not, because they have not fought, or fought and won, for any of the Hindu causes in court. That is why with the concurrence of RSS and VHP leaders, the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha has set up a legal cell--- under my convenorship.

Nationalists in Kerala are grateful for your timely intervention to nip Islamic Banking from its bud itself in Kerala, What Is your advice to Kerala Hindu Society on dealing with such Anti National practices aimed at Minority appeasement?

A: Kerala Hindu society should be aggressive and united as in the Devasom Board issue, and be non-aligned between Communists and Congress. Which means in elections, united Hindus can align with either for seats adjustments.

Being a Former Law Minister, Have you ever thought of introducing common civil code and scrapping Article 370 ?

A: I did and prepared the papers, but our government fell in 1991. When Jayalalitha proposed my name for Minister in Vajpayee's government I was planning to complete the process, but Vajpayee refused to induct me so it remains incomplete.

How could Hindu Organizations be more politically active and undertake result oriented action strategies?

A: Of course they must. That is why the HDAS has also formed a Hindu Parliamentary Forum and asked me to help form it. Hindu organisations must strive to build a Hindu vote bank which will make every party try to appease Hindus.

Do you think that there is a strong anti-Hindu lobby at work in Indian Media ?

A: It's more a pro-careerist selfish lobby which is afraid of an anti-Hindu government. This lobby will change its tune if a pro-Hindu govt comes to power.

Why Hindu organizations not interested in starting a national media and television station?

A: Send Rs 10 crores per year to me for three years. I will return it over five years. If you cannot arrange it, then you have answered your own question.

Your message to HK readers

A: Propagate our identity, learn Sanskrit and be ready to fight back.

I don't see why hindu organizations can't have one!RSS,VHP,BJP, Shiv Sena and numerous other Hindu organizations and Mutts together can start a channel together, each getting their own time-slots to telecast their own programmes, show-casing their service activities, holding aloft the banner of Hinduism.

"India, especially Calcutta, is seen as the main beneficiary of Mother Teresa's legendary 'good work' for the poor that made her the most famous Catholic of our times, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner and a living saint. Evaluating what she has actually done here, I think, India has no reason to be grateful to her", said Sanal Edamaruku, Secretary General of the Indian Rationalist Association and President of Rationalist International in a statement on the occasion of her beatification today. The statement continues:

Mother Teresa has given a bad name to Calcutta, painting the beautiful, interesting, lively and culturally rich Indian metropolis in the colors of dirt, misery, hopelessness and death. Styled into the big gutter, it became the famous backdrop for her very special charitable work. Her order is only one among more than 200 charitable organizations, which try to help the slum-dwellers of Calcutta to build a better future. It is locally not very visible or active. But tall claims like the absolutely baseless story of her slum school for 5000 children have brought enormous international publicity to her institutions. And enormous donations!

Mother Teresa has collected many, many millions (some say: billions) of Dollars in the name of India's paupers (and many, many more in the name of paupers in the other "gutters" of the world). Where did all this money go? It is surely not used to improve the lot of those, for whom it was meant.

One can hear the screams of people having maggots tweezered from their open wounds without pain relief. On principle, strong painkillers are even in hard cases not given. According to Mother Teresa's bizarre philosophy, it is "the most beautiful gift for a person that he can participate in the sufferings of Christ". Once she tried to comfort a screaming sufferer: "You are suffering, that means Jesus is kissing you!" The man got furious and screamed back: "Then tell your Jesus to stop kissing."

Her charitable work, she admitted, was only part of her big fight against abortion and population control. This fundamentalist position is a slap in the face of India and other Third World Countries, where population control is one of the main keys for development and progress and social transformation. Do we have to be grateful to Mother Teresa for leading this worldwide propagandist fight against us with the money she collected in our name?

Mother Teresa did not serve the poor in Calcutta, she served the rich in the West. She helped them to overcome their bad conscience by taking billions of Dollars from them. Some of her donors were dictators and criminals, who tried to white wash their dirty vests.

But for this subterfuge, the minister will have to concede that the query in the ongoing enumeration, the Query No 11, to the effect ‘citizenship as declared’ is not only contrary to the citizenship law, but is actually a fraud on the law. Read on, with some patience as it is all about law. It is the citizenship rules, not the census law, that provide for both the collection and verification of the population data. It is not that, as the minister pretends, information is collected under the census law now and verification takes place, later, under the citizenship law. Just take one mandate in citizenship rules. The citizenship rules direct that ‘during the verification process, particulars of such individuals whose citizenship is doubtful shall be entered with appropriate remark in the Population Register.’ Unless the enumerators are first asked to notice cases of doubtful citizenship, how will such cases come up for verification at all? But, instead of asking them to notice and record the cases of doubtful citizenship during enumeration, see how the census manual directs the enumerators to fill the space against Query No 11 ‘Nationality for each of the enumerated person has to be asked from the respondent and recorded. …… Please record the nationality of the respondent as declared by her/him for each of the persons enumerated. Do not get into any argument with the respondent regarding this.’(See Para 5.21.1 of general instructions). That is, when the citizenship rules ask for doubtful cases of citizenship to be identified, the census manual to collect details under the very citizenship rules virtually says ‘don’t doubt the respondents on their claim of nationality; just record what they say.’ How then will suspect cases of citizenship be discovered? Clearly, the ongoing enumeration is not intended to discover suspect citizenship, but to suppress them, and make them appear genuine. Can the minister deny that Query No 11, read with the census manual, exposes his lie?

Shockingly, anyone who had entered into India six months before the census, or any one who intends to stay for six months after, becomes a ‘usual resident’ under the ongoing census rules. Such persons, thanks to the census, can declare themselves as Indian citizens in response to Query No 11. And more shockingly, the government proposes to issue ‘National Identity Cards’ to all such people even though under the law, ‘National Identity Cards’ are allowed only for Indian citizens.

Imagine, like Kasab who did the mayhem in Mumbai on 26/11, a Pakistani enters India today and promises to be here for six more months, he is eligible to declare himself as an Indian citizen in response to Query No 11, also get a National Identity Card. He will be an Indian terrorist, not a Pakistani jihadi. According to intelligence sources, some 40,000 Pakistanis have entered India and after throwing their passports away, they have melted into Muslim-dominated areas.

QED: The ongoing population census is undoubtedly an anti-national venture. It is placing millions of timeless bombs all over India. Is the home minister, who seems lost in legalisms, aware?

The writer is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues.

Look at this is hog wash this is another way of converting by assimilating our culture and our religion into their own and then use it for conversion. They will showcase this partnership to Hindus and say that there is no difference in the 2 religions and then ask all Hindus to pray at church and then slowly undermine Hinduism asking them to have christian images at home and then slowly replace Hindu Gods. This has been done many times. People should be very very cautious.

If you read between the lines, the Deobandh fatwa is asking for separate office space and seating arrangements for women employees to be made available in offices. Very soon if some women muslim gets a job in an office her parents, relatives and local muslim organisation will land up at the office premises demanding a separate office space, don't be surprised it will happen very soon. This is how muslims impose their religion on others. Soon they will ask separate driving lanes for muslim women. Demand that a normal cop cannot stop a muslim women driver, only a muslim women cop can challan or stop a muslim women driver. Only a muslim women can teach to muslims girls in schools, muslims should buy groceries only from muslim shops and products made by muslims. These demands can go on and on and on till they will just carve out a separate society for themselves parallel to ours and thats the end objective in any case.

About 200 Jihadists led by one Salim Javed and armed with sticks, stones and swords raising their war cry of “Allah O Akbar” laid siege to a house under S.R. Nagar Police Station at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh at 10.15 p.m. on Friday, May 28, 2010 to launch a pre-planned attack on Dr. Pravinbhai Togadiya, Secretary General of Vishva Hindu Parishad. Dr Togadiya was at the house of a VHP sympathiser for dinner. Dr Togadiya was on the Hyderabad leg of his routine All Bharat tour conducting peaceful organizational programmes. He had no public programme at Hyderabad city – he came there only in the evening after attending an organizational camp programme far away from the city.

VHP President Sri Ashok Singhal has sounded the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh about the incident drawing their attention to the fact that this Jihadi posture has very serious implications. “After the Godhra incident, this is the first time that Jihadi elements tried to repeat their terrorist act of this nature.”, Sri Singhal reminded them. Sri Singhal informed that the Hyderabad police was very lethargic in taking action. It came after 45 minutes and quelled the Jihadists.